Jin Ishikawa
Jin Ishikawa (石川''仁, Ishikawa Jin'') is Lieutenant of the 5th Division in the Gotei 13 under Captain Tamaki Miura. Known as a hothead and brash, Jin is viewed as being one of the weakest lieutenants in the Gotei 13. Something he greatly dislikes being told or teased about by his fellow lieutenants. Much to his displeasure, Jin has been labeled Chūkūgatana (中空刀, "Hollow Sword") due to his perceived inability to fight with a sword, its meaning referring to a lack of skill making the sword empty, or "hollow". But in actuality, this is all a facade due to his captain declaring that he hold back most of his strength in an effort to teach him patience and humility. Secretly, Jin is a fierce combatant with outstanding sword skills and natural speed that could very well place him among the elites within the divisions. It is only at the behest of Captain Tamaki that he displays only a fraction of his real power. He's a greatly troubled Soul with abandonment issues and insecurity problems, and often lashes out at those around him. Aside of these negative traits, Jin is fiercely loyal to his captain, whom he views as a mother figure and is rarely ever seen outside her presence. He currently resides in the Bleach: War of Souls universe. Appearance Jin is a tall and lean built young looking man with a long angular face, pale skin and sunken in features that give him an almost emaciated appearance. He has white hair, swept forward with the bangs coming to a point over the bridge of his nose. His eyes are a vibrant yellow, which peer through narrowly open lids, and he is typically seen with a serious expression on his face. He wears the traditional robes of a Shinigami, though his are a sleeveless version with his lieutenant's badge tied around his left arm. His also wears fingerless white tekkō that covers the back of his hands and forearms, held in place threaded under his middle finger. His pants are tucked into tight black bands around his shins to keep them from moving too much and allow him for easier movement, similar to the Onmitsukidō. He continues to wear the traditional footwear associated with the Shinigami. Jin exclusively carries his sword in his hand to better position himself for his style of swordfighting, that way he can execute any of his attacks without restriction. Personality Jin possesses a range of complex emotions that make discerning his true feelings almost impossible. He's been described by the other lieutenants as an unpleasant person to be around. He's viewed as condescending, cold-hearted, short-tempered and shows little to no empathy towards others. His difficult childhood led to a lack of compassion and doesn't believe in friendships or teamwork, viewing those qualities as hindrances. While interacting with others, he often brushes them off and avoids them as much as possible. He's only seen in their company if forced to do so, such as in lieutenant meetings or under specific orders. And even then, he mainly keeps to himself. If confronted, Jin tends to lash out at others quickly, especially with regards to his status as lieutenant. When angered, his speaking changes to mainly shouts and yelling, and tends to bare his teeth like an animal. There is also the assumption that Jin is very weak, often described as being the weakest of all the lieutenants. This stemmed from his combat skills never being seen, which led to a rumor that his position was attained mainly through political influence. Though to assume that he is weak would be a grave mistake. Although never seen fighting, Jin is a deadly combatant, who shows zero hesitation or mercy towards his opponents. He is quite aggressive, attacking with such ferocity that he resembles a wild animal and shows no remorse in executing whomever he believes to be an enemy. Though layered with many negative emotions, underneath all of that, he does possess some positive feelings towards his captain, albeit strained at times. He views her as a sort of surrogate mother and is almost always seen in her company. Because of his emotional disconnect, he has trouble expressing gratitude towards her and often comes off as being cold. His loyalty towards Captain Miura stems from her being the only person who showed any concern towards him, and took Jin in when no one else would. Sometimes there are moments where Jin becomes extremely frustrated with his captain as for why she would place such restrictions on him. His captain hopes to one day have Jin learn restraint and humility, but his progress has been slow thanks to his stubbornness and short temper. Underneath his attitude, he's fiercely loyal to his captain and he becomes quite angered when the importance of his squad is questioned, or when the tainted history of Aizen is brought up. This has caused a stigma to stick with the 5th Division, even though their captain is one of the most trusted figures in all of Soul Society. It is unknown if he likes anything or has any particular interests, but during his time at the academy he took classes in calligraphy, which were not requirements. History Coming Soon. Plot Coming Soon. Powers & Abilities Among all the lieutenants within the Gotei 13, Jin is the only one who is forced to greatly restrain his own power under strict orders from his captain. While Kenzō Takeshi uses specific Reiatsu restricting tattoos, Jin isn't allowed to draw his blade unless in the most dire situations. The below skills and talents are largely hidden to rest of the Gotei 13, save for only a few soldiers. Zanjutsu Master: Since he keeps his real fighting potential hidden under specific orders from his captain, he's stated as being a below average swordsman by others. It's been documented that his skill is "nothing special" by the other lieutenants and his participation in open training sessions has been strictly prohibited. Despite his perceived weakness, Jin is an extraordinary and talented swordsman, placing him within the elite ranks among the lieutenants. His preferred form of fighting is Iaijutsu, which is the art of drawing the sword and re-sheathing it at incredible speeds. Similar to Captain Ryusaki, Jin keeps his sword sheathed and held to his side, while his drawing hand rests on the handle. He is exceptionally fast at drawing the blade out, faster than the normal eye can see. During combat, his attacks are lightning quick and delivered with considerable power behind them, and favors a style that dispatches an enemy in a single blow. In fact, many of his battles have been decided on a single attack against deadly enemies, and hardly has ever needed an additional attack. With all these ill-perceived notions of him, when Jin is unrestrained his skill far surpasses many within the organization. He prefers to attack in linear fashion, with many speed-based attacks, but can also incorporate his agility to maneuver around targets and attack from different angles. While in Shikai, his style of fighting changes to incorporate his sheath to block, and uses spin attacks to simultaneously strike with the sword and sheath. This is to compensate for the fact that he can't sheath his sword while released due to its shape. He primarily fights one-handed, though is adept with the other at defending with his sheath. Combined with his speed, Jin is able to disable his targets in one swift and fluid motion, often before the target is able to react. *'Mureyaiba' (群れ刃, Flock of Blades) With his sword sheathed, the user will draw the blade consecutively with such speed that it will appear as if it were never drawn, but a flurry of slashes will strike their target. The draw is so strong that the sheer force can be sent through the air as projectiles. Jin is able to target multiple areas of the body without any specific order to deal tremendous damage. He's known to be quite proficient with this technique and able to turn his body to sweep across an area and strike several targets. Unfortunately, he must remain in a stationary position and can only rotate his body slowly to perform this variation of the technique. *'Karitori '(刈り取り, Harvesting) Utilizing amazing speed, Jin will rush towards an opponent and perform a quick draw of the sword from a low crouching position that is aimed at the opponent's neck. Because of its speed, he's almost imperceptible and the target only aware of his presence just as the sword is about to connect with their necks. Similarly with his main style of fighting, Jin's strength is enough to deliver a killing blow, often severing the head from the body with a single motion. The crouching position also allows him to remain out of harm's way from traditional attacks, and because of its unorthodox stance it requires expert precision and timing to execute. Hohō Master: Even though only a lieutenant, Jin possesses impressive skill in Shunpo and are nearly master level. This allows him to move and perform actions similar to that of a captain, but because Tamaki wants to limit his overall power currently, he greatly restrains his true power. His speed seems driven more on emotional state, momentarily using bursts of increased speed when angered to circle an opponent and attack from behind. When using this method, his speed seems more violent and usually destroys the ground, releasing a ring of air similar to a sonic boom but without the noise, while a plume of smoke remains in his original location. This isn't to say that he can't move without making a sound or leaving a trail. Jin is perfectly capable to remaining stealthy if he's focused and not driven by rage. Even engaged in close ranged combat, Jin can dodge an incoming attack by instantly disappearing and reappearing behind his target to strike from behind. *'Utsusemi' (空蝉, Cicada) An example of Jin's incredible speed is his ability to utilize this speed technique while many other lieutenants are incapable of. By moving so fast, Jin is able to create a single afterimage in his wake that is completely indistinguishable from the original. Even if struck, this afterimage can appear damaged from the attack before fading away. It is unknown what other techniques Jin is capable of utilizing besides this technique, but he is able to use this one seamlessly during combat. He can even move fast enough to leave the afterimage as a diversionary tactic to surprise his targets, namely following up with his Karitori technique before they can react. *'Sakanami' (逆波, "Reverse Wave") It appears that Jin is able to use a speed based technique that takes advantage of the force he generates when moving unrestricted. Since his speed can become so high, he can quickly slash a target before they have time to react. The target is damaged from the initial slash aimed specifically across their midsection. Even if the target is not immobilized or killed during this initial attack, Sakanami is triggered shortly after this transition. When moving at such extreme speeds, the force of rushing past a target is delayed and Jin can use this sudden wave of pressure and air to strike the target, disorienting them in the process or even knocking them down from the attack. It seems that Jin only uses this technique when performing attacks or maneuvers that most past a target. The target will instinctively turn around to face Jin, and then Sakanami strikes them from behind. Enhanced Agility: With his lean and light frame, Jin proves himself to be exceptionally nimble and agile, able to perform acrobatic maneuvers in the middle of battle and seamlessly transition into complex actions. His agility is very similar in execution to his speed, meaning it is primarily instinct and reflex based. This allows him to naturally react to any given situation and let his body perform on a subconscious level. Jin uses his agility during battle to easily maneuver himself around his targets with his incredible speed, or avoid dangerous attacks by leaping safely over them. Even when holding his sword with one hand, he can still perform flips and land on his free hand. This shows incredible dexterity and coordination, and doesn't seem at all hindered by the fact that he carries his sword in his hand versus tucked into his sash as many other lieutenants do. High Spiritual Pressure: When limiting his power, Jin is described as possessing slightly below average Reiatsu, further enhancing this false notion that he is a weak lieutenant. If he's allowed to release the full extent of his Reiryoku, Jin is able to unleash a very powerful wave of force that is quite intimidating and a surprise to those around him whom have viewed the lieutenant as weak. Regardless of which state his power level sits, he's able to stand in the presence of stronger opponents without succumbing to their own spiritual pressure, and when fighting at his full potential, can use his Reiryoku to enhance the force of his strikes so that he can slice through his targets in a single blow. Its full effect is unknown since its been largely undocumented but the visible aura he produces is white in color and shimmers like light. Zanpakutō Haijin (灰塵, Ashes and Dust) Jin's Zanpakutō takes the form of a regular katana with a black hilt and silver circular crossguard, with half circles cut out the top and bottom. Jin carries Haijin exclusively in his hands and not tucked into his sash like many officers of the Gotei 13. *'Shikai:' Jin's Zanpakutō has been rarely used in combat and its true power is largely unknown. To release its Shikai, Jin states the command, "Suffocate and Ignite" (窒息と燃え付く, Chissoku to moetsuku). After these words are stated, Haijin's blade will immediately glow in a blinding white light. It then splits into two identical blades running parallel to one another, as well as another crossguard resting on top of it. : Shikai Special Ability: Haijin's power comes from the material that each blade is composed of and his ability to manipulate those materials for two unique abilities. Each blade also has a release command and name when activating their power. The left blade, Funjin, is composed of millions of small dust particles, and the right blade, Kaijin, is composed of equally as many ash particles. When calling out either command, the blade dissolves into fine mist that he can mentally control and use against his opponents. While each blade can be dissolved upon activation, Jin typically keeps one blade solid so that he can still attack, while overwhelming his opponent with the other blade's special ability. :*'Funjin' (粉塵, Dust): The left blade of Haijin, Jin activates this blade's ability through the release command, "Suffocate" (窒息させる, Chissoku sa seru). Once activated, the entire blade disperses into fine dust particles that floats freely around Jin. Through mental command, he can then direct the cloud of dust in any way he wishes, either surrounding himself or a target. The dust is unique in the fact that it possesses illusion-based abilities by reflecting light and its surroundings to create holograms. Typically, Jin uses the dust to shroud himself and render him invisible to the naked eye. He can also use the dust to create clones to disorient an opponent while he hides his own movements by allowing the dust to flow with him. The dust contains another ability to disperse or mask his spiritual pressure and makes it hard for opponents to sense his presence. The effect is described as creating disruption with a target's ability to sense Jin's spiritual pressure, making it seem like he's everywhere at once by spreading out the dust or nowhere at all. Though this effect can be interrupted with sufficient force or wind to spread the dust, weakening its power of illusion and revealing his true location. It is unknown if Jin can use Funjin to create other types of illusions, or if this blade's ability is only to render him invisible. :*'Kaijin' (灰燼, Ash) The right blade of Haijin, Kaijin's blade is composed entirely of ash that holds a solid shape and its edge still proves sharp enough to cut his opponents. Its power lies in its ability to shed pieces of ash against anything the blade strikes. When the blade slashes against a surface, pieces of this ash will remain on the target and seep into the opening the slash produces. By stating the command, "Ignite" (燃え付く, Moetsuku), the ash will then instantly ignite and burn the target from the inside or across the surface area where the blade connected. This effect has been described as being extremely painful and immobilizing, as if fire is coursing through their veins. In fact, flames can be seen erupting out of the wounds his targets sustain from this effect. Its been seen that the ash can remain dormant within a target's body until Jin states the command. This allows him to place more pieces of ash inside the target to create a greater effect and deal more damage. *'Bankai:' Not Yet Achieved. Trivia *Jin's theme song is "Bullet with Butterfly Wings" by Smashing Pumpkins.